Omoide
by Noia
Summary: Wufei has been having a nightmare. Can Sally help him before it's too late? Mild 5xS (Yeah, I know, great summary)


1 Omoide  
  
  
  
Wufei sat up with a start. Letting out a shaky breath he ran a hand through his sweaty black hair and attempted to disentangle himself from his sheets. It was a dream. A dream that he had had for the past few days, yes, but it was still only a dream. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to rid from his mind of the image of bloody, rotting corpses. I was three years after the war. Why the hell did this dream haunt him now? The corpses, they were the people he had killed, and the people of his colony, who he had been unable to protect.  
  
Meiran. She was always there. It was her blank stare that scared him the most. He had only been fourteen when he had married her. He wasn't even sure if he had loved the young Chinese girl. Wufei sighed and glanced at the glow in the dark clock that sat on his bedside table. 3:27. Wufei flipped over his pillow and lay back down, resting his cheek on the cool material. Don't think about that dream! He commanded himself.  
  
***  
  
"I thought you were switching to decaf," said Sally, raising her eyebrows as she watched Wufei poured himself a large mug of coffee from the regular pot, ignoring the smaller pot marked "decaf." He rounded on her, his eyes bloodshot.  
  
"What does it matter to you if I drink this?" he snapped, taking a long sip of the steaming black liquid. She waved her hands defensively.  
  
"Hey, I don't really care, it's just…Well geez, Wufei, you look like shit. And," she silenced his protests with a stern look, "And caffeine isn't going to help." His eyes narrowed and he responded heatedly,  
  
"Regardless of how I look, I feel just fine, and I definitely don't need your advice, okay?" Sally's brow wrinkled with surprise and concern.  
  
"Whoa, okay. Fine. I'll go know." With one last anxious glance the blonde left the run down staff room. Wufei finished his coffee with a gulp, and slammed his mug onto the dirty counter.  
  
"Damn onna."  
  
***  
  
Blood everywhere. Soaking him. And there was Meiran. Pale and lifeless, she led and army of zombies with various missing appendages. Glassy stares. They were calling to him  
  
"Wufei! Wufei!" He tried to step back, but he slipped in the blood and fell. Everything was shaking. They surrounded him. And they were going to kill him, drag him to hell. They reached towards him.  
  
"Meiran!" he shouted. Then reality kicked in as he woke. Sally was shaking him.  
  
"Wufei! Wake up. Are you okay?" He sat up and his small office at Preventors HQ came into focus. He had fallen asleep on a thick stack of papers. He drew a trembling arm across his forehead, wiping away the sweat. Sally squeezed his shoulder and repeated gently,  
  
"Are you okay?" he swatted her hand off his shoulder and snapped,  
  
"Of course I'm okay. It was just a dream." He shook himself mentally. Just a dream. She raised an eyebrow quizzically.  
  
"It was only a dream? Pretty intense dream. What was it about?"  
  
"Nothing! Just leave me alone!" He glanced at his watch.  
  
"I'm going home." He had picked up his jacket and started to leave the room when Sally grabbed his hand. His heart gave a small leap at her touch.  
  
"Are you sure you're all right?" He glared at her and shook off her hand. Then, without another word, he stalked out of his office. Sally watched him sadly. I wish he'd let me help him.  
  
***  
  
Wufei paced his spotlessly clean apartment restlessly. He looked at his Felix the Cat clock. It read 4:00 am on the dot. He checked his watch. 4:09. Worthless piece of crap. He'd only woken a few minutes earlier, and he'd be damned if he was going back to sleep anytime soon.  
  
Wufei jumped as someone knocked gently on his door. He looked through the peephole. Sally, wrapped in a plaid bathrobe, was standing in the hallway. He opened the door, which creaked (he made a mental note to oil it) and let her in uncomfortably. It figured that she had to see him the only night he was wearing his smiley-face boxers. Plus he had no shirt on.  
  
"What do you want, onna?" he eyed her suspiciously, "And how did you know I was awake?" He crossed his hands over his chest.  
  
"I live in the apartment next door to you," she grinned, "and either you scream louder than you think, or these walls are way to thin." He shifted angrily.  
  
"So you came to laugh at me?" She shook her head.  
  
"Actually, I came to bring you this." She held up a small white bottle, "Pills that ensure dreamless sleep. I took them when I was sick a while ago." He eagerly took them from her. She walked towards the door.  
  
"Good night Wufei." He nodded and ushered her out of his apartment, shut the door and looked at the bottle. Joyzzzzz pills-guaranteed deep, dreamless sleep. Recommended dosage- 1 pill. Wufei opened the bottle and looked at the miniscule white capsules. He walked into the bathroom and filled a glass of water, then shook out one pill. Meiran's blank face resurfaced in his mind. Shuttering, he shook out two more pills. He placed the three cylinders on his tongue and washed them down with a gulp of water. He barely made it to his room when darkness clouded his mind and he collapsed on his bed.  
  
***  
  
"Wufei?" Sally rapped on his door anxiously. It was definitely not like Wufei to be late. "Wufei! You're late for work! Wufei!" No answer. She tried the door. Unlocked. With a twinge of fear she slipped in, pulling out a small pistol. The female preventor carefully sneaked into the kitchen. No one was there. Then she checked the bathroom. Empty. Only the bedroom left. She kicked open the half-closed door and dashed in, gun pointed. Then she caught sight of Wufei and her gun clattered to the floor as she dashed to his side. His whole body was stiff, and his jaw was clenched.  
  
Sally's heart was racing. She recognized this. When she worked as a medic a young girl had been brought in stiff and unmoving. She had taken too many allergy pills. Panic fluttered in Sally's throat as she checked his pulse…There! It was weak then…Then nothing. She fumbled for the phone, and with shaking fingers she dialed 911.  
  
"Hello?" A calm voice answered.  
  
"I have a man here. His heartbeat has stopped," Sally's voice was shaking almost as much as her hands, "I think he took too many sleeping pills. He's in room 15 on the third floor of 4122 Crestview Lane."  
  
"An ambulance is on the way. Just remain calm, they'll be right there. Would you like me to stay on the line?"  
  
"No…no, I'll be okay, thanks. Bye." Sally hung up. She knew she should be doing something to help him, but her years of medical experience fled her mind as she looked at the Chinese man lying stiff and unconscious on the bed. She paced the room. Where the hell was that ambulance?! God, she didn't know what she'd do if he died. He'd been her partner for three years, and despite the fact that he was always a bit of male chauvinist (okay, maybe more than a bit) she liked him. A lot. Maybe even more than just friendship. She sat nervously and began stroking his smooth ebony- black hair softly as hot tear coursed down her cheek.  
  
"Hello?" A shout came from the door. She jumped up quickly.  
  
"In here! Oh, please, hurry!" The paramedics rushed into the bedroom and, without further stalling lifter Wufei's rigid body onto a stretcher. Sally followed them sown the narrow apartment stairwell, and into the ambulance. With sirens blaring they headed to the emergency room.  
  
***  
  
Darkness pressed unyieldingly against Wufei as he stumbled through…well, nothing really. Oblivion seemed to be crushing him. Then, squinting, he saw a distant light, and with a shout of relief he staggered toward it. He was exhausted, but he had to reach the light. He forced his leaden legs to continue.  
  
***  
  
Lucrezia Noin-Peacecraft entered the waiting room, gripping Milliardo's hand tightly. Sally sat in a plastic chair, her hands covering her face, and her honey-colored braids falling over her shaking shoulders.  
  
"Sally?" Noin called softly. Preventor Water looked and gave a small cry.  
  
"Oh, Noin!" Noin knelt beside the blond woman and put an arm around her shoulders.  
  
"How is he?" She asked softly. Sally swallowed.  
  
"I don't know. They haven't said anything. I've just been filling out papers and waiting. They even let me in the room." Noin sighed.  
  
"It's okay. You know how stubborn Wufei is. There's no way he'd let himself die. Not without a fight." Sally mustered a small smile.  
  
"You're right of course. But, oh, I'm so worried." She started to cry again. She waved Noin away angrily.  
  
"You two just go back to work. I'll be fine by myself."  
  
"Are you sure?" Noin asked tentatively.  
  
"Yes I'm sure. There's nothing you can do."  
  
"Okay…bye." As soon as they were out of the waiting room Noin turned and burst into tears on Milliardo's shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her comfortingly. She didn't particularly care about Wufei (She had never quite forgiven him for the whole Victoria Base fiasco), but Sally had been her best friend for some time now, and she hated to see her hurt.  
  
"Poor Sally," she sobbed, "Poor, poor Sally."  
  
***  
  
After what seemed like ages Wufei reached reached the light. Warmth immediately washed over him. He was standing in meadow of sorts. Wildflowers scented the breeze, and he was about to collapse happily into the grass when a voice broke the still air.  
  
"Wait!" He looked up and, to his astonishment, he saw Meiran, whole and alive, wading through the knee-high grasses and flowers.  
  
"You can't rest!" Wufei's brow furrowed in confusion.  
  
"Meiran?! What-how-why…?" She approached him, her dark hair flowing behind her.  
  
"Wufei. Listen to me. I'm just a spirit. As are you. But-" She broke off as Wufei interrupted her angrily.  
  
"Wait. I can't die. I have a job. I'm in the middle of a mission for the Preventors. I never told Sally that I-" He stopped as he realized what he was about to say. Meiran looked at him sadly.  
  
"I know you love Sally. That's why you can't stop here. You aren't allowed to die yet. You have to go that way." She pointed a delicate looking finger towards the darkness on the other side of the meadow. He didn't move, just stood staring at her.  
  
"Go! Before it's too late." He walked towards the darkness, but stopped and turned back as a thought occurred to him.  
  
"What about the dream? What does it mean?"  
  
"Don't worry about the dream, you won't have it again. As for what it means." She smiled softly. " That's for you to discover on your own." He looked at her for a second, then turned and headed into the darkness.  
  
***  
  
"Major Po?" Sally whirled to look at the tall, handsome doctor.  
  
"Yes?" She asked urgently. He smiled and held out his hand. Sally shook it.  
  
"I'm Dr. Walters. Come with me." Sally followed him as he started down the long white hall, anxiously waiting for some information.  
  
"I have good new about Mr. Chang. We got his heartbeat back, and we're fairly certain that he'll pull through. He still unconscious, but you can go in and see him if you like." Sally blinked and walked through the door he held open for her. Wufei lay on the bed. He was no longer rigid, but sweat beaded his forehead. The heart monitor standing next to the bed beeped steadily. That could get annoying, Sally thought, amused. She walked to his side and wiped the perspiration from his brow. Dr. Walters cleared his throat behind her. She straightened and turned.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I'll let you stay here, but I need to check in every once and a while, okay?" Sally nodded, and he left, shutting the door behind him. She leaned down and kissed his forehead, then went and sat in a chair in the corner. Slowly, she dozed off.  
  
***  
  
Just…keep…walking…Left. Right. Left. Right. Wufei was completely exhausted. Darkness was everywhere, and it was showing no sign of relenting. He was so tired, but he had to keep walking. Left. Right. He stumbled and then fell… He couldn't make himself get up. Sally…I'm sorry…  
  
***  
  
Sally woke up abruptly. The first thing she noticed was the silence. It was definitely too quiet. Then it registered. The heart monitor had stopped beeping. She stood up and looked at Wufei. He was as white as the sheets. She ran to the door and threw it open. She grabbed a passing nurse.  
  
"Get Dr. Walters!" She ordered. The nurse looked a bit affronted at Sally's abruptness, but turned to fetch him just as he came around the corner.  
  
"Quick! The heart monitor's stopped! Come on!" Surprise registered on the man's face before he dashed to the room. He leaned over Wufei, felt his pulse, and did some other things that Sally couldn't really see. He straightened up, and turned to Sally, taking a deep breath.  
  
"He's gone. I don't think we can bring him back…I'm sorry." Sally felt numb with shock. Then she nodded slowly, and said,  
  
"Okay…Okay. I think I'll just go." He looked at her with concerned eyes.  
  
"Are you all right?"  
  
"Yes…I-I just need to go to the bathroom." Then she left, hardly watching where she was going. She walked into the lady's room and entered a stall. Slowly, she pulled a gun out of her boot. Then she pressed the gun to the side of her skull, shuddering at the touch of the cold metal against her skin. With a deep breath, Sally pulled the trigger.  
  
~*Owari*~  
  
  
  
Bryn's note: Odmoide means approximately 'memories.' Creative of me, ne?  
  
Moral of today's story: a. Never overdose on sleeping pills. b. Never let Bryn get a hold of a computer… 


End file.
